This curriculum covers 8th grade U.S. History learning objectives. It is the perfect way to reimagine U.S. History from a position of strength for every student. Too often, whole cultures are only depicted through the lens of their struggle. Not only is this an inaccurate representation of history, but it is also damaging to the students “learning” the materials. Students from historically marginalized populations are not empowered to see their true potential, and students who are apart of the majority class are not given the opportunity to see the humans behind the history which serves only to perpetuate the systems and structure that have landed us in a divided country even to today.

This guide focuses in and beyond the principles of Culturally Responsive Teaching (CRT) and Social and Emotional Learning (SEL), and it seeks to make learning reflective, fun, and effective for the students. (Social Studies, Identity, & Community- Social Justice)

“Social and emotional learning (SEL) is the process through which children and adults understand and manage emotions, set and achieve positive goals, feel and show empathy for other, establish and maintain positive relationships, and make responsible decisions.” https://casel.org/what-is-sel/

These materials are written so that any 8th grade education facilitator or teacher from year one to year 50 can easily incorporate these materials into their regular line-up while staying on their learning schedule. These materials are perfect for use any time of the year as they focus on topics relevant to students at all times, and there is the added benefit that these materials help facilitate discussion about current critical topics. Having an inclusive, safe environment in which to process such personal topics helps promote the wellness of students as well as civil social discourse between people inside and outside of the classroom.

Additionally, this curriculum guide is designed to be flexible for various class or program types and times, thus it can be used in full or in part based on the demands and needs of each individual program. There are 6 lessons that include various topics and activities, and there are some activity sheets included to accompany the material. Session length depends on the number of students participating, and activities can be added or subtracted to fit the allotted time. The average session can run anywhere between 50 minutes and 90 minutes.